I’m Having Twins, Where Do I Start?

Congratulations! I’m so excited for you. Welcome to preparing for twin parenthood. You’re in the right place.

You are embarking on an amazing journey, one that will change your life for the better. I know it might feel scary in the beginning, but that is normal. Trust me. I was in your shoes just three years ago and I was terrified asking the same question, “Help, I’m having twins, where do I start?” But, there are some things you can do. If you’d like to read the story of my own twin pregnancy, click here. Keep reading, below, for tips that can help make planning for twins less overwhelming.

Start Here – My Twin Pregnancy Checklist

1. Choose a Doctor, Midwife and/or Specialist

First, you’ll want to make sure that you have your follow-up appointments scheduled with your OBGYN, or whoever you’re using for your prenatal care.

They will probably recommend that you also see a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor (MFM), in addition to your regular OBGYN appointments. (This is what mine did)

An MFM is a specialist that women are commonly referred to if they are considered to have a “high risk” pregnancy. Twins automatically puts us in that category. But, it’s always good to have an extra set of expert eyes helping to monitor our pregnancy. So, it’s not a bad thing!

2. Check for In-Network Coverage

The next thing I did after I found an OBGYN, was to look at our delivery options. We opted for a traditional hospital with a highly rated NICU and one that was covered by our insurance. But there are other options available.

My friend had a midwife for her delivery and loved it. She was able to have follow-up care from the comfort of her home, instead of heading to the pediatrician a few days after delivery. So I can see how this is extremely appealing.

3. NICU Research

Before we selected an in-network hospital, I called and asked questions about the NICU and looked at their ratings and reviews on Google.

NICU levels III and IV are the best for preemie babies who will need to receive advanced care. I wanted to be prepared in case our twins needed this. The hospital we chose had a level III NICU that had just been remodeled.

Each baby would have their own individual private room that included a couch and a comfortable chair for mom and dad. I appreciated the privacy and the fact that it was highly rated in our area.

4. Choose a Prenatal Vitamin

I honestly went through three different vitamins before finding the one I was happy with. It’s important to choose one that will agree with you (some vitamins have funny smells, or cause upset tummies). I finally landed on Ritual for my prenatal vitamin care.

Talk to your OB about what type of vitamins and dosage they recommend. Everyone is different and will require certain nutritional supplements or a recommended diet during pregnancy.

5. Check your Skincare Products for Toxins

This was an eye opening experience for me. My doctor told me to watch out for all kinds of chemicals and ingredients that could be harmful to the babies while I was pregnant.

For instance, I didn’t know that cocoa butter can cause heart palpitations or
fetal heart arrhythmia in developing babies. And cocoa butter is the number one ingredient in most all belly butters for stretch marks!

I downloaded the app from EWG, here, to check all of my skincare, bodycare, and household products to see how they rated and what I could clean up.

6. Get a Good Stretch Mark Cream

I mentioned above that cocoa butter is bad for babies. So, I asked my OB what she recommended, and she swore by hard pressed coconut oil. She has two babies and never got a stretch mark. So, I thought it was worth. a shot.

I began searching for a good organic coconut oil and found Viva Naturals organic 100% pure extra-virgin coconut oil cold pressed & unrefined. It can also be used for cooking, baking, skin and hair.

Every body is different, and I only made it to 34+4 with my twins. But, I don’t have a single stretch mark from my pregnancy, and I slathered that coconut butter on daily starting around 10 weeks pregnant.

7. Stock Up on Peppermints

When and if morning sickness hits you, be prepared. Peppermints, ginger, and lemon drops are some of the common things that can help with the feeling of nausea. I personally preferred peppermints.

I also carried saltines around with me everywhere. There is a fine line between being starving, and then suddenly feeling nauseated during pregnancy. Be safe, not sorry. Carry the crackers.

Ginger ale and your favorite flavor of gatorade can be good for morning sickness too.

8. Register for Your Twin Baby Registry

I put together Twin Baby Registry specifically for twin parents who are trying to plan for everything they will need for twins and have no clue where to start.

When you sign up for free, you will receive a fully-tailored registry ready to go with everything on it that you need for twins. If doing research and sifting through the millions of baby products out in the world sounds stressful to you, then just sign up and start sharing your registry with family and friends.

If you’d like to customize anything on your registry (add or remove items) you still have the freedom to do so! Click here to sign up.

9. Join a Support Community for Twins

They always say, “It takes a village” but I believe for us, it takes a twin mom (or dad) village! The best thing I ever did when I was pregnant with my twins was to join a support community of like-minded mamas who could help me.

We’ve created our own free support community for you to join here.

10. Download this Pregnancy Checklist to Save and Take with You

If you don’t have time to check everything off the list right now, just download it and save it for later! Then go at your own pace.

Click here to get your checklist and subscribe to our twin parenting resources newsletter.

Happy Planning!

Shelby